Rorschach

Services for Anne Beck, 84, a psychologist and expert in interpreting the Rorschach inkblot test, will be at 10:30 a.m. Fridayin the Stone Chapel of KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation, 5037 S. Greenwood Ave. Mrs. Beck died Monday in her home in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. Mrs. Beck's late husband, Dr. Samuel J. Beck, also was an expert on the Rorschach test, and the two worked together for many years before his death in 1980. The Rorschach test, developed in 1922, is a psychological test of personality and intelligence...

"People have said it was 'haunting.' I had one person tell me it was 'porn-y.' We've had a lot of people ask us if it was sponsored by Polo or something. It's almost like a Rorschach test." -- Ezra Koenig, to MTV.com, about the cover photo on his band Vampire Weekend's new album, "Contra"

"People have said it was 'haunting.' I had one person tell me it was 'porn-y.' We've had a lot of people ask us if it was sponsored by Polo or something. It's almost like a Rorschach test." -- Ezra Koenig, to MTV.com, about the cover photo on his band Vampire Weekend's new album, "Contra"

One, two, Jackie Earle Haley's coming for you. The actor, most recently seen as jaded-and-slightly-sadistic superhero Rorschach in "Watchmen," will take over for Robert Englund and wear the striped sweater and knives-for-hands of Freddy Krueger in the reboot of the horror franchise, Entertainment Weekly reports on its Web site. Haley, a forgotten child star whose career was resurrected with his Oscar-nominated role in "Little Children," recently had expressed an interest in playing the iconic...

One, two, Jackie Earle Haley's coming for you. The actor, most recently seen as jaded-and-slightly-sadistic superhero Rorschach in "Watchmen," will take over for Robert Englund and wear the striped sweater and knives-for-hands of Freddy Krueger in the reboot of the horror franchise, Entertainment Weekly reports on its Web site. Haley, a forgotten child star whose career was resurrected with his Oscar-nominated role in "Little Children," recently had expressed an interest in playing the iconic...

It has been a slow couple of months since awards season began, but "Watchmen" will break the lull -- and in grand style. Director Zach Snyder ("300") has taken one of the most celebrated graphic novels of all time -- it made Time magazine's list of the 100 best English-language novels (since 1923) -- and transferred it to film. "Watchmen" takes place in an alternate reality, similar to 1980's America, where nuclear Armageddon is imminent. A team of masked heroes saves mankind, but everything...

It has been a slow couple of months since awards season began, but "Watchmen" will break the lull -- and in grand style. Director Zach Snyder ("300") has taken one of the most celebrated graphic novels of all time -- it made Time magazine's list of the 100 best English-language novels (since 1923) -- and transferred it to film. "Watchmen" takes place in an alternate reality, similar to 1980's America, where nuclear Armageddon is imminent. A team of masked heroes saves mankind, but everything...

The fiery prison riot scene was over and, mopping the sweat from his brow, actor Jackie Earle Haley was heading back to his trailer in search of some lunch. It was a crisp fall day in 2007 on the set of "Watchmen," the most challenging comic-book movie project ever filmed, and Haley was trying to soak in every heroic moment. "I'm just happy to be here, to be part of something like this," said Haley, a child star in the 1970s ("The Bad News Bears," "Breaking Away") who saw...

Who watches the Watchmen? Soon, we will. At least, that's what Warner Bros. and DC Comics are counting on when their next comic book adaptation, "Watchmen," hits theaters in March. Many moviegoers got a sneak peek of the film before seeing "The Dark Knight." Plainly defined, "Watchmen" is a 1986 graphic novel written by British writer Alan Moore ("From Hell," "V for Vendetta") and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. It is perhaps the most celebrated title in comicdom and has been...

Who watches the Watchmen? Soon, we will. At least, that's what Warner Bros. and DC Comics are counting on when their next comic book adaptation, "Watchmen," hits theaters in March. Many moviegoers got a sneak peek of the film before seeing "The Dark Knight." Plainly defined, "Watchmen" is a 1986 graphic novel written by British writer Alan Moore ("From Hell," "V for Vendetta") and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. It is perhaps the most celebrated title in comicdom and has been...

The black blotches in Rorschach tests inspire the structure of Atalee Judy's world-premiere solo performance "Visions of Light" -- a fragmented portrait of a schizophrenic mind. Judy and her multimedia Breakbone DanceCo. use the wide, boxlike space of Hamlin Park's Studio Theatre to create a series of movement-based scenes, augmented by Carl Wiedmann's stark films and Berianne Bramman's ethereal live vocals, in constricted spaces, including a plastic cage. ...

The Chinese have found an anti-hero worthy of Tony Soprano. Xu Sanduo is not a godfather. He is not a father. He is not even a lout. He is, however, a character whose mix of flaws and charms has made him an unlikely television phenomenon who seems perfectly crafted for his time. And his story -- violent, exotic, unlike the life of almost anyone watching at home -- has somehow emerged as China's national Rorschach test. "Soldier Sortie," a dramatic series, premiered on Chinese state television in 2006.

The addictive nature of reality TV may have been the jumping-off point for "Cinderbox 18," choreographer Julia Rhoads' new dance-theater exploration. But the pop phenomenon, which includes "Project Runway" and "My Life on the D-List," is not literally transferred to the stage. And Rhoads has no gripe with these shows. She's more interested in exposing the primal need for connection within a society hooked on instant techno-gratification and voyeuristic entertainment. ...

The addictive nature of reality TV may have been the jumping-off point for "Cinderbox 18," choreographer Julia Rhoads' new dance-theater exploration. But the pop phenomenon, which includes "Project Runway" and "My Life on the D-List," is not literally transferred to the stage. And Rhoads has no gripe with these shows. She's more interested in exposing the primal need for connection within a society hooked on instant techno-gratification and voyeuristic entertainment. ...

For many, the holidays mean the gathering of friends and family--and while it can be fun to entertain, many guests leave behind unwanted traces of their visits. Traces such as a Rorschach gravy stain on the heirloom tablecloth. Or a cherry-red lipstick smudge on antique napkins. Or a pool of red wine, or coffee, or Hawaiian Punch on the (formerly) snowy white carpet. You have two options: replace the damaged piece and never invite the guest back or have a stain strategy. Dealing with stains is a...

So last Sunday afternoon I'm riding home to Chicago with two friends after a weekend trip to quiet Mt. Carroll, Ill. We're rolling past cornfields and grazing cattle, listening to the car radio, when the news comes on about O.J. Simpson getting arrested in Las Vegas on burglary charges. And the first thing I think is: "Again? Again with this guy?" Earlier this year I had been sure that his post-trial behavior had hit bottom with that "If I Did It" book scheme of his. But apparently not. As the week...

The Chinese have found an anti-hero worthy of Tony Soprano. Xu Sanduo is not a godfather. He is not a father. He is not even a lout. He is, however, a character whose mix of flaws and charms has made him an unlikely television phenomenon who seems perfectly crafted for his time. And his story -- violent, exotic, unlike the life of almost anyone watching at home -- has somehow emerged as China's national Rorschach test. "Soldier Sortie," a dramatic series, premiered on Chinese state television in 2006.

The black blotches in Rorschach tests inspire the structure of Atalee Judy's world-premiere solo performance "Visions of Light" -- a fragmented portrait of a schizophrenic mind. Judy and her multimedia Breakbone DanceCo. use the wide, boxlike space of Hamlin Park's Studio Theatre to create a series of movement-based scenes, augmented by Carl Wiedmann's stark films and Berianne Bramman's ethereal live vocals, in constricted spaces, including a plastic cage. ...

The fiery prison riot scene was over and, mopping the sweat from his brow, actor Jackie Earle Haley was heading back to his trailer in search of some lunch. It was a crisp fall day in 2007 on the set of "Watchmen," the most challenging comic-book movie project ever filmed, and Haley was trying to soak in every heroic moment. "I'm just happy to be here, to be part of something like this," said Haley, a child star in the 1970s ("The Bad News Bears," "Breaking Away") who saw...

One of the few stories that was able to break into the virtually non-stop coverage of the Chinese-American standoff was, surprisingly, the Peruvian presidential elections in South America. Peru is a poor and financially confused country. It is of little economic importance to the U.S., and there are few Peruvians in North America. Why, then, should elections there get so much attention relative to other stories that we journalists cover, uncover, re-cover--or don't cover...